'Free Cruise' Lawsuit Settlement Offers Up to $900 for Robocalls

An unfamiliar number shows up on your phone, and you begrudgingly pick up. "Congratulations! You qualify for a free cruise," says a pre-recorded message. You hang up, vowing to never answer again—until the next time it happens.

In a class-action lawsuit filed by Philip Charvat, Charvat v. Carnival et al, the plaintiff claims Resort Marketing Group violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which restricts telemarketers from making unsolicited calls to consumers. The suit alleges Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean cruise lines authorized Resort Marketing Group to make the pre-recorded "robocalls" between July 2009 and March 2014.

The companies collectively settled the case, rather than go to trial, and according to the Miami Herald, a federal judge approved a "preliminary approval of the settlement in July" which would include "a settlement fund worth between $7 million and $12.5 million, depending on how many claims are filed."

Anyone who received such a free cruise robocall in the stated timeframe is eligible for $300 per call, up to three calls, for a maximum of $900. Consumers can file a claim online, using the lawsuit's website to check if their phone numbers are in the Resort Marketing Group’s database, or by mailing completed forms to the address listed on the website.

Eligible claimants have until November 3, 2017 to file a claim—which requires just looking up your phone number and filling in your personal information to be included in the settlement. The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on April 4, 2018, so don't go spending your $300 (or $900) right now—there'll be plenty more cheap flights to gobble up when the time comes.